For performing and visual artists in Japan, securing financial backing is a never-ending challenge, made even more difficult by the tight economy. Unlike in Europe and the U.S., generous art patrons in Japan are few, in part because of a lack of tax advantages. Government support has been notoriously limited. So when an avid art patron like Masaaki Kanda, governor of Aichi prefecture, steers government funds into the arts, it's cause for celebration. And what a celebration it is: the inaugural Aichi Triennale 2010 in Nagoya is already underway and continues until 31 October. more...

Kenchiku-no-Shikumi: A Special Exhibition at Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum

Nicolai Kruger

Tucked among mature trees and spread out over seven hectares within Koganei Park in western Tokyo, the venerable Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum maintains a collection of 27 historic buildings from the Edo through early Showa periods. The buildings include an influential politician's former residence, thatch-roofed farmhouses, a teahouse, a public bath, several traditional shops, a streetcar and even a police box arranged along streets in a village-like setting. more...

Low Town Life: The Taito-ku Shitamachi Museum

Alan Gleason

One of central Tokyo's 23 wards, Taito-ku contains some of the most historic sites and popular tourist destinations in the entire metropolis -- the museums and zoo in Ueno Park, the Asakusa entertainment district, Sensoji temple with its big red lantern. The area's reputation as an adult amusement mecca extends several centuries back into the Edo period, when it also contained the bustling Yoshiwara red-light district, backdrop to many a Kabuki play and ukiyo-e print.more...